


i want your midnights

by tinyjamspoons



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, First Kiss, M/M, Post-Strike, god I hate writing summaries, title from ‘new year’s day’ by taylor swift, u know the rwrb new year’s eve scene? yeah.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyjamspoons/pseuds/tinyjamspoons
Summary: They won the strike, Jack is still in New York with no plans to leave, and he has Medda and the newsies as his family. But Davey is acting oddly at the party, and he doesn’t know why.(or, jack is alex davey is henry and race is sort of nora. kisses happen.)
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, implied sprace - Relationship
Comments: 20
Kudos: 76





	i want your midnights

**Author's Note:**

> this contains spoilers for red, white, & royal blue by casey mcquiston so if you haven’t read it just be warned!! (and if you haven’t read it then what are you doing with your life)
> 
> this was going to be longer because i added Actual Communication, but it just didn’t flow right so i cut that. might add a red room-esque follow up 
> 
> as far as i know there’s only one direct quote (replacing henry with davey) and i kept it because a) latino jack kelly rights and b) the quote itself is so funny to me ajdksjsj
> 
> is this too many notes for a 1k oneshot? probably

_The strike worked._ Jack laughs giddily, drunk on alcohol and happiness. He and Davey led a fucking strike, and they _won._

He’s at Medda’s theatre, which is filled with newsies just as it was earlier that day. Now, however, they’re celebrating at a last-minute party that Medda decided to throw after Pulitzer gave in. 

Jack looks around at his friends, dancing and laughing, and feels overwhelmingly happy. He’s standing a bit out of the way, watching everyone, and catches Davey’s eye from where he’s dancing with his sister. Davey grins at him, and Jack smiles back, feeling his heart beat a little too fast. 

It sobers him a bit, because of course there’s still _that_ issue. The issue that he’s falling for the boy who is quickly becoming one of his best friends. (Hell, any boy would be bad, but _Davey_? Surely that’ll end in disaster.)

Jack’s pulled from his thoughts when Race pushes through the crowd and stops in front of him. “I need you to kiss me,” he blurts. 

“I’m flattered,” he teases, knowing that this must have something to do with Spot Conlon. 

And sure enough, Race growls in frustration and says, “No, dumbass, I wanna see if I can make Spot jealous. I know he’s watchin’ me.”

Casting a cursory eye around the room, Jack sees that Spot is scowling at them but trying to pretend that he’s not. So he answers, “Sure,” and grabs Race’s collar to pull him in. None of the newsies care about two boys kissing, and the room is so crowded that the only way people would even notice is if they were already looking at Jack or Race. 

The kiss is fine. (And somewhat familiar; he’s kissed Race in countless games with the guys before.) Jack makes sure to really play it up, closing his eyes dramatically and clutching at Race’s shoulder with his other hand. 

They break apart after not too long, and Race grins. “Thanks! Hopefully this’ll make him finally do somethin’. And hey,” he adds, expression turning sly, “might make Davey jealous.”

“Aw, shuddup, he didn’t even see,” Jack protests. 

But after Race leaves him, he can’t help but scan the crowd for Davey. He’s not here, which is...weird. He breaks away from the crowd to look. Surely he couldn’t have gone far? 

Jack walks outside and hopes that Davey hasn’t gone home already. He paces out front for a minute before turning to walk around the back of the theater, and sure enough, there’s Davey, leaning against the wall and running his hands through his hair. 

“Hey,” Jack says quietly as he draws closer, and Davey starts, pushing himself off the wall and looking wide-eyed at Jack. 

“Oh, hey,” he responds nervously. “Sorry I left…”

Jack shrugs. “S’okay, I just wanted ta make sure you didn’t leave for the night. Are you...okay?” He leans nonchalantly on the wall and tries not to stare too blatantly at Davey, who’s practically glowing in the light of the streetlamps in a way that makes Jack’s fingers itch to draw him. 

Eyes shifting awkwardly away, Davey seems to draw back a little. “Nah, it was just loud in there.”

He’s obviously lying, but Jack doesn’t push it. “Ah.”

They stand there for a minute or two, neither having much to say. But that’s not exactly true, Jack thinks. There’s a hell of a lot he _wants_ to say to Davey, but not much that wouldn’t end up with Davey punching him or saying that they couldn’t be friends anymore. 

“My parents said I can stay the night,” Davey says finally, breaking the silence. “Sarah’s going to take Les home.”

“Cool,” Jack answers, but he can’t figure out what’s off. “Dave...c’mon, why did ya really leave the party?” He looks into Davey’s eyes. 

Davey tears his gaze away and says in a clipped tone, “I saw you kiss Race.”

Oh. 

_Oh._

Jack winces. “Well I, uh. Didn’t realize you felt that way. None ‘a the newsies care ‘bout somethin’ like two boys kissin’, but you ain’t been raised the same way.”

Davey doesn’t answer, face still turned deliberately away from Jack’s, although he looks almost confused now. 

So Jack keeps rambling. “And me an’ Race don’t...that ain’t a regular thing. He was just tryin’ ta make Spot jealous.” He shuffles his feet awkwardly. 

Davey looks up, something like hope in his eyes. “So you and Race aren’t…?”

“No. I mean, we’s both queer, but not, like, for each other. But I, uh, understand if ya don’t wanna be friends with me anymore ‘cause I like boys.”

“No! I’m fine with it, I just...I’m glad you and Race aren’t together. When I saw you two I thought…” He shakes his head hard and breathes out what almost sounds like a sigh of relief. “Nevermind.”

“You’re...glad Race and I ain’t together like that?” Jack tried to think of what that could mean, if he also somehow isn’t repulsed by queers. It just doesn’t make any sense. It seems like Davey’s trying to imply something, but somehow Jack’s brain is refusing to put the English language together in a way that makes sense. He wonders distantly if Davey knows any Spanish. “But if you’re okay with two guys kissin’, then how come you’re glad we ain’t like that? I don’t understand.”

Davey’s mouth is slightly open, and he looks confused too. “Really?”

Jack forces himself to look Davey in the eyes. “I have literally no idea what you mean, Davey.”

Davey’s breath hitches. “Oh my God, you're an idiot.” And before Jack can think of how to respond, Davey leans forward and presses their lips together. 

There’s a split second of complete and total confusion, and then it registers that _holy shit Davey is kissing him_. And then he stops thinking and just kisses Davey the way he’s wanted to practically since they met. 

His hands go to Davey’s hair, desperate to be closer him. Davey seems to like it, inhaling sharply and clutching Jack’s waist.

Davey pulls him closer, and Jack eagerly complies. He whines as Davey moves his hands further up, tugging at his shirt, which makes Davey giggle, and Jack loves how he can feel it as much as he can hear it. Then Davey’s hands are touching his back, pressing soft hands to his skin as his mouth moves against Jack’s. 

But then there’s a clattering noise from the road, and Davey seems to start. He yanks himself away and stares at Jack with a stricken expression. Then he says, “I’m so sorry,” in a hushed voice and turns to leave. 

Jack’s head is spinning at the sudden loss of contact. “Wait, Davey—David!” 

Davey only looks back once before ducking back into the theater, and Jack is left standing alone in the alleyway with the ghost of a kiss still on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> hope u liked it!! comments and kudos sustain me so tell me what you liked (or didn’t) and remember to go read/or reread red, white, & royal blue!
> 
> ~ cath


End file.
